Office stand



March 5, 1940.

H. G. TIFFANY 2,192,337

QFFICE STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 30, 195'? J5 NJJ Invemor: B H/ro G. 77ffan y. y (i ,4. MM /l Horn e y s 0 March 5, 1940.

H. G. TIFFANY 92,337

OFFICE STAND Original Filed April 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6075 5/ a? 27 55 J7 G Invenfo r: H/G/"O 6. Tiffany.

WVSMMQZ lifforheys Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED TATES:

2,192,337 OFFICE STAND Hiero G. Tiffany, Maplewood, Mo.

Application April 30, 1937, Serial No. 139,871

Renewed January'ZZ, 1940 3 Claims.

This invention pertains-to office standssuchas. are used to supporttypewriters.addingmachines.

Another object'isztoprovlde 81.101113, standnvitlr a folding side table of improved construction.

- Further objects will appearifromkthe following;- description taken in connection withfithe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a stand em bodying this invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of-Figure' 1.

Figure 3 is ,a fragmentary sectional view of' the mechanism for raisingthe stand on" it casters. Y

foot and caster construction, and

Figure is a perspective detail of the frameconstruction.

Referring to the drawings the stand comprises a frame made upof apair of U-shaped frames.

indicated generally at l. The frames are preferably constructed of angle bars having oneflange.

thereof cut or notched as indicated at2'and the other flange bent so as to close thenotch and form the corner of the frame. This forms a U- shaped frame having up-n'ight standards connected by horizontal cross members 3. A pair of transverse frame members 4 also constructed of angle bars are provided with downwardly ex- 40 tending end limbs 5 as shown in'Figure 5; These end limbs are formed by notching and bending.

asdescribed for the end frames I so asto form corners between the member 4 and its endlimbs 5. In both the Uframes I andithe transverse 45. members 4 these corners are braced by gussets 6 extending across the corner as shown in Figure 5.

and welded to the inside of the .notched flange. This provides a very rigid corner construction for.

both end frame and transverse members. In

50 assembling the frame the corner of the transverse. member 4 is placed inside the corner of. the. U.

frame and the two are secured together by detachable clamp fastenings such as boltspassing.

through holes 1 provided for that purpose. It 55 wiJl be seen that a vveryrigid corner construction Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional'detailof the is hereby provided adapted to brace the upright standards in all directions.

The lower ends of the standards may be connected together by lower side bars 8; rear transverse bar 9 and a center transverse bar Ill. The 5': bar 10 is placed in the center of the frame in order to leave one side open to accommodate the. feet of the operator. The bars Sand 9 are preferably constructed of angle iron and the bar 915 bolted or otherwise detachably. secured to the-end '10: frames l. The center bar H3 is; preferably of channel form as shown. in Figure 1.

The transverse members 4 are provided in their upper flanges with longitudinal slots l l in which are secured, preferably by a bolt provided with a wing nut, channel shaped supporting bars 92. These may be adjustedalong the slots to ac commodatea an instrument of any width. Slotssimilar to slots ll may also be provided in the cross memberst of the end frames. so that if de-- sired the bars l2 may be mounted so as to span the frame in a direction at right angles to that shown'in Figurel. The supporting bars IZ-are," also provided with slots i3.in which are mounted for adjustment foot sockets l4 adaptedto receive the instrument which the stand isintended to support. These attachments provide for spacing the sockets M in any desired manner so as to accommodate any type of instrument.

Similarly mounted for adjustment along. slots 30, it and l6 inthe bars S-and ill. respectively is a. pair of angle bar supports ll. Thesepreferably. have a short flangebent inwardly at their inner ends as shown at l8. These. supports may be used to support acontainer to hold the forms used .in. the operation of the instrument carriedsby this stand.

A folding table IQis hingedat 2i] onthe cross member 3 on one of the end frames I. This table is supported in its extendedposition by apair 40 of angle braces 2!. Thesemay be .formedof a. single length of heavy wire or they may be sep-- arate. In the illustrations they are. shown as formed of a single wirehinged tov the table 19 at 22 and having their. lower ends formedwith a 45. double hook 23 by bending. the end of thewire first upwardly and then downwardly. The downwardly bent hook is adapted to engage a socket opening 24 in one of the uprights of the. end. frameas shown in Figure lso as tosupport the table in extended position. When it is desired to fold the table down, the same is raised on its hingeifl whileat the same timethe angle .braces. 21 are pressed upwardly. Thiscauses theupturnedportion of the brace. ZL-to pass through 55.

the socket 24 until stopped by the lower hook. The table may then be lowered and the shank of the brace 21 will pass through the socket opening 24 and allow the table to descend. Each of the braces 2! is provided with a bend as indicated at 25 so positioned that when the table is folded to a vertical position the portion above the bend 25 will pass through the opening 24 and permit the lower portion of the brace 2i to hinge vertically within the angle of the upright I.

Each of the uprights of the frames l is provided with a foot casting 26 having an extended foot portion 21 providing room there-within for a caster 28 to swing in a horizontal circle. The caster 28 is swiveled in any suitable manner in a cylindrical block 29 slidable in a bore 38 in the casting 26. The block 28 is preferably provided with a slot 3| engaged by a screw 32 which prevents the block from falling out of the casting 26 while permitting it to move vertically therein. An operating pin 33 extending through the top of the casting 26 bears on the top of the block 29 so that 'by forcing said pin downwardly in the casting the block 29 may be forced downwardly and thereby the caster 28 will be extended below the foot portiton 21. The casting 26 is provided with a socket 34 adapted to receive the lower end of the upright of the frame I. Preferably three of the foot castings 26 are rigidly secured to their uprights while the fourth is arranged'for vertical adjustment thereon. For this purpose a slot 35 is provided in the upright along which the securing bolt 36 may be adjusted. Bythis arrange ment the vertical relation of all four feet may be adjusted to hold the stand rigid on a level floor.

In order to raise the stand on its casters the mechanism illustrated in Figures 2 and3 is pro- 'ing as shown in the drawings or otherwise, to

provide a fiat abutment 4i engageable with the head of the pin 33. The inner ends of these levers are connected together by a lost motion connection as by a headed pin 42 on one of the levers engaging a slot 45 in the other. The slot 43 may be provided with an enlargement 44 so that, when disconnected from the frame at their pivots, these levers may be separated from each other by passing the head of the pin 42 through the enlargement 44. This provides convenient means for assembly and disassembly of these levers. Pivoted on the bar 8 below the levers 3! and 38 is a crank arm 45 having a pin 46 engageable with one of the levers 31 or 38 to elevate the same at their inner ends. Secured to move with the crank 45 on its pivot is a manipulating element 41 providing a lever by which the crank may be operated. The element 41 is provided with a pin 48 extending outwardly therefrom above the levers 31 and 38 and adapted to engage one or the other of said levers to limit the movement of the manipulating element. In the position shown in Figure 2 the pin 48 rests upon the top of-the lever 38 and this positions the crank 45 in such relation to the lever 3'! that the direction of the pressure of said lever upon the crank is such to retain the crank in this position and hold the pin 48 against the lever 38. In this position of the levers the abutments 4! operate to press the pins 33 downwardly thereby extending the casters 28 beyond the feet 2'! to raise the stand on said casters. In this position the stand may be rolled about to any desired location. When it is desired to support the stand rested by engagement with the lever 3"I. This movement permits the abutments 4| to rise thereby permitting the pins 33 to rise and the caster 28 to slide upwardly and let the stand down upon the feet 21.

The pivots of the crank arms 45 are shown in Figure 3. Each of these comprises a cylindrical block 49 having a circular bearing portion 58 engaging circular openings in the bar 8, and a squared extension 5|. The crank arm 45 and the manipulating element 41 are provided with square holes fitting the portion 5| so as to be keyed thereto. The members 45 and 41 are retained upon the pivotblock by a washer 52 and a screw 53. The inner end of the block is provided with a socket 54 having diametrically opposite peripheral notches 55. A cross shaft 56, provided at its ends with lateral projections 5'! has its ends lodged in the sockets 54, with the projections 51 engaging the notches 55. shaft 56 provides a cross connection between the opposite sides of the frame so as to connect together for operation in unison the lever mechanisms on the two end frames so that when operated all four casters will be extended or retracted together.v

It will be seen that this invention provides a stand of simple construction which is demountable so that it may be knocked down for shipment. The end frames I each forms a unit having the lever mechanism for operating the casters mounted thereon. By simplyremoving bolts the transverse members 4 and the cross bars 9 and I0 may be removed. The shaft 56 is simply slipped out of the sockets in the pivot blocks 49. This reduces the entire frame to a flat form which may be packed and shipped in a minimum of space.

The lever mechanism for raising and lowering the stand on its casters is simple and effective in operation. In the position shown in Figure 2 it is self-retaining with the stand on its casters. When it is desired to lower the stand on its feet it is only necessary to kick the pin 48 upwardly a short distance and the mechanism then automatically drops the stand to its feet. The folding table is of simple construction and the form of V for shipment. The provision for attachment of 1 the footsockets 24 provides for every possible 1 spacing within the range of the stand so that any type of instrument may be supported thereon. The provision of the supports I7 enables the stand to carry not only the instrument, but adequate supplies of the forms upon which the operations are performed.

' While the invention. has been described as embodied in a unitary device, it will be understood that certain individual features or subcombinations thereof may be useful by themselves without reference to other features or the complete combination, and that the employment of such individual features or sub-combinations is contemplated by this invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

It is further obvious that various changes may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention; it is understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown or described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1.'In a stand of the character described, a demountable frame comprising, a pair of U- shaped end frames, each of said end frames being formed of an angle bar having one flange notched and the other bent to form the frame corners and a gusset welded to the inside of the notched able relatively to said feet to support said frame;

a pair of levers pivoted at their outer ends on said frame and engageable beyond their pivots with means for moving a caster, a lower crossmember on said frame on which said levers are pivoted, and means for raising said levers together including a crank supported on said crossformed of an angle bar bent to form the frame on each of said cross members and engageable beyond their pivots with means for moving a caster, means for raising said levers together including a crank supported on the cross member having apart engageable with one of the levers of a pair and movable to a self-locking position with said levers raised, and a demountable connection between said :lever mechanisms,

HIERO G. TIFFANY, 

